Summer Solstice

Last Sunday, when I was doing newcomers' instruction, a fellow disciple asked me if I could fill in for him the following Saturday (yesterday). I didn't really want to, but agreed anyway, because why not?

So I was surprised when I pulled up to the zendo yesterday and found not only the one who asked me to fill in for him sitting there, but also another recruit filling in for the morning. But the good news was that I was there and without any duties or responsibilities, so I was able to just sit and focus on my zazen. It was a small turnout anyway (the serial recruiter had to leave after the first sitting period), and we had a very pleasant conversation afterwards about "right speech."

Today, as you've probably guessed by the picture above, I went up to Chattanooga to sit with the sangha up there. I hadn't prepared anything to say, which was fine because their schedule wisely doesn't leave much time for talking, but I did briefly go over my thoughts from the other day about right view, and expanded it a little to include some of the things we had discussed yesterday about right speech. Basically, we talked about how our opinions condition the things that we say, and how the things that we say cause us to take positions, which in turn, colors our perception. Our discriminating minds only see that which supports our stated positions and ignore that which is contradictory. Right view sees that actually is, moment by moment, regardless of our positions and opinions. Right speech expresses the actual truth, and states what is necessary to be said.

A bunch of us had lunch at the local green grocer after the service.

Outdoor temperatures today are hovering right around the 100 mark (that's about 38 degrees for you Celsius types), and the southern humidity isn't making it any more pleasant. All in all, not a bad day to spend in an air-conditioned car driving to Chattanooga and back.